Folding stage dressing room



Mai-ch 1,.7 1931. J L, KEMP 1,796,567

FOLDING STAGE DRESSING ROOM Filed ;Nova- 4. 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet l no 4;, V *1 ME] rz 3! 32 r I v 22. I?

QM K" M27 7 Z0 44 Z 16 Z 4 45 4.4 r I 43 1M 39 l 3! l as 34 INVENTOR Jos. L. KEMP.

ATTOR-NEY 17, 1931. J KEMP 1,796,567

FOLDING STAGE DRESSING ROOM Filed Nov, 4, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 6 3% 1*" "m-\ a x fzs P /2, @I Q F -t;

- INVENTOR dog. L. KEMP.

ATTORNEY March 17, 1931. L, KEMP FOLDING STAGE DRESSING ROOM Filed Nov. 4, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet -3 INVENTOR Jos. L. KEMP.

ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 17, 1931 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOSEPH L. KEMP, or OMAHA, NEBRASKA FOLDING STAGE DRESSING Room Application filed November 4, 19%! Serial No. 404,847.

My invention relates generally to folding canopies and cabinetstruetures. It is theobject of my inventionto' provide a folding or collapsible"structure suitable for temporary or emergency use asa dressing-room on.the stage or in the wings of a theater. A further object of invention is to provide a light and substantial structure of the character above indicated, which will be folded or col:- lapsedbythe hoisting of the same from the stage, andwhioh will be automatically expanded and made ready for use by merely lowering the-same from the flies inwhich it is stored when not in use. More particular objects of myinvention relate to the detailed structure of theimechanism, andlwill be more fully set forth hereinafter.

In the aceompa-nying drawings Fig. 1 is a p'erspectivefront view of a structure'embodying my invention, the fabric orflexible covering being omitted to more clearly. show the f *a'me and operating portions of the struc ture, Fig.2 is a detail plan view of: one of the upper rear cornersof' the frame structure, Fig. 3 is aside view of the same, Fig; 4 is a detail plan view of one of theupper front corners of the frame structure, Fig. 5 is a sideviewof thesame, Fig. 6'i's adetailhorizontal section taken through one of the rear uprights ab'ovet'he lower horizontal framemembers,.F'g; 7 is a detail side view of. the same portion of the structure, Fig. 8 is a detaillhorizontal section takenthrough one of the front uprights above the lower: horizontal frame-:members, Fig. 9 is a side view showingthefolding brace, Fig. 10 is-a detall elevationfrom the inside ofthe frame, show ing one of thehanger-rails, Fig; 11; is a diagrammatic horizontal sectioushowmg. varying: positions of oneof thehanger-rails, Fig. .12 isa' detail showing in plan one'end of the cosmetic-table, Fig. 13. is a. detail vertical section on theline 1313 of Fig. 12, Fig. 14ris a diagrammatic side viewofthe frame structure" showing folded, hoisted and? extended ,positionsthereof, andzFig'. 15 is avperspective vieweof the complete structure including the flexible fabric covering for: the framework.

'- In oarrying outmy invention I provide a= feldilngjeon collapsible framework,- made throughout of metal, the longer members of the frame structure being rolled steel anglebaii's which provide aimaximum of strength and. rigidity proportional to their weight. Inits extended formation the metal frame work is rectangular-and approximately cubicalinshape. In the front and rear portions of the frame the structural members are rigidly. connectedwitheach other, and the longitudinal side'members are pi'votally eonneeted with therigid end portions.

The rear end portion of the frame com prises apairiof uprightsQO and21, an upper transverse bar 22 and. a'lower transverse bar 23,: the upper transverse member 22 being rigidly connected with theuprights by means of angle-pieces 24, and the lower transverse member 23 being rigidly connected with the uprights by angle-pieces 25, said anglepiecesbeing secured to the uprights and transverse members by suitable rivets, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 6;

The front end portion of the frame coniprises a. pair of uprights :26 and 27-, and an upper transverse bar 2'8, the latter being rigidly connected with the uprights by angleqiieces 29 and suitable rivets, as best. shown in Fig. 4,- and further connected by diagonally extending brace-bars30,as shown in Fig. 1.

a Between the upper corners of the front and rear frame portions are extended the upper longitudinal bars or members 31 and 32, of whichtherear ends are connected piv otally with the angle-pieces 24, to swing abouthorizontal axes as shown in Figs. Quad 3, andthe front ends being. similarly conneoted pivotally with the angle-pieces :29, as shownin Figs i and 5. Lower longitudinal membersiidand 34 are-arranged at the level of the transverse mel'nber 3, and are ply ota-lly connectedattheirrear ends with the angle-pieces 25, to be swingahle about horizontal axes, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. The front ends of the lower longitudinal members 33 and 34am similarly connected with bracket-plates 35 which are secured to the front upright-s 26 and 27, asbest shown in Figs. 81and-9i The lol-igitudinal members and 34: are

further connected with the front uprights shown in detail in Figs. 8 and 9. Each of said folding braces comprises a pair of flat bars 36 and 37 having overlapping end portions pivotally connected with each other by a pin 38, the bar 36 having a laterally turned lug 39 adapted to enter a notch 40 in the edge of the bar 37 when the bars are in the alined relation shown by full lines in Fig. 9. The upper ends of the bars 36 are pivotally connected with the longitudinal frame-members 33 and 34, and the "lower ends of the bars 37" are similarly connected with the bracketplates 41 secured to the front uprights 26 and 27. At the full-line position shown in Fig. 9, the brace is rigid and serves to'prevent folding movement of the member 33 relative to the upright 26, but if the pivotally connected endsof the brace-members are pushed upwardly so as tobeout of line with the end-pivots of the-brace, the same may be folded to the position shown by dotted lines in said Fig; '9, simultaneously with the corresponding downward swinging movement of the member 33 about its pivotal con nection with the bracket-plate 35.

The cosmetic-table 42'extends horizontally between the frame-members 33 and 34'adjoining the lower transverse member 23 of the rear portion of the frame, to which the tableis connected by means of hinges 43. At each end of the table, near its front edge, a lip or lug 44 is secured on the upper side thereof and rests slidably upon the adjacent horizontal frame-member 33 or 34, as shown in Figs. 1 and 12..

Parallel vertical wires or tension-members 45 are extended between the rear transverse members 22 and 23, above the cosmetictable, and serve to support the mirror 46 in the position shown in Fig. 1, where it is convenient for the use of a person standing or seated in front of said table.

The hanger-rails 47 and 48 are disposed normally to extend horizontally beneath the upper longitudinal members 31 and 32 the rear ends of said rails being connected with hinge-plates 49 on the rear uprights 20 and 21 by. means of removable pintles 50, and the front ends of the rails being connected with hinge-plates 51 on the front uprights 26 and 27 The rail 48 at one side of the frame is disposedat a level slightly above that of the rail 47 at the other side, and each of the front uprights carries an extra hinge-plate with which the rail from the opposite side may be engaged, the plate 52 on the upright26 being disposed at the level of the rail 48, and the plate 53 on the upright 27 being disposed at the level of the rail 47. Thus, when the removable pintle is withdrawn from the rear end of the rail 48, said rail may be swung in a horizontal plane about thepivoted front end-thereof to a transverse position at which rality of garment hooks54, said hooks extending forwardly when the rails are swung to the transverse position, and the plates 51, 52 and 53 being arranged to extend rearwardly from the uprights 26 and 27 whereby the hooks will not project appreciably beyond the front edges of said uprights, as will be apparent from Fig. 11.

The described frame is inclosed by a covering 55 of flexible fabricsuch as canvas, extending across the top and about the sides of the frame. At the front the covering is formed by two pieces of the fabric arranged to form flaps 56 which normally hang in overlapping relation, as shown in Fig. 15. At the rear vertical corners. the side portions of the covering are detachably connected with the rear portion by means of suitable fasteners 57, which may be disconnected when the structure is to be folded or collapsed.

. Inthe-use of the described structure as a temporary dressing-room on the'stage or in the wings of a theater, the same is preferably disposed with its rear side adjoining a wall Was shown in Fig. 14, and'hoisting-lines 58 are connected with'the front upper corners of the frame and extended therefrom inclinedly upward and rearward, as shown.

The users enter and leave the dressing-room by passing between theoverlapped edges of the flaps 56. When the dressing-room is not in use it is hoisted into the flies by means of the lines 58, after first looseningthe fasteners 57, breaking upwardly the folding braces 3637, and swinging the hanger-rails 47 and 48 to engage the plates 52 and 53, as above described. As tension is placed upon the lines 58, the front portion of the frame is first lifted from the floor, while the longitudinal members 3l34 swing to inclined positions as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 14, and the rear portion of the frame continues to rest upon the floor. When the rearward and upward folding or collapsing of the structure is substantially completed, so that the longi 'tudinal members are in approximate parallelism' with the uprights. the tension upon the hoisting-lines lifts the folded structure to the desired storage position in the flies, where it may remain suspended until again desired for use. In the folded position of the frame the fabriccovering at the sides will hang in folds, but the front, top and rear portions of the covering will remain as in the extended formation. When the structure is lowered until the rear legs or uprights 20 and 21 engage the floor, the longitudinal members automatically swing forward until the front uprights also rest upon the floor. Then the hanger-rails are disconnected from the plates 52 and 53 and re-engaged with the rear plates 49, the brace-members 36 and 37 are pressed into their rigid alined position, and the fasteners 57 are connected toclose the rear cor ners of the fabric covering. During the folding and unfolding or re-opening of the structure, the lugs 44 supporting the front portion of the cosmetic-table slide along the members 33 and 34 to accommodate the variations due to non-alinement of the axes of said members with the axes of the hinges 43.

Now, having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a folding dressing-room for use 011 the stage of a theater, a metal frame comprising a pair of uprights and a pair of transverse members rigidly connected to form a rear frame-portion, a pair of uprights and a transverse member rigidly con nected to form a front frame-portion, and

pairs of longitudinal members extending between the front and rear uprights at the upper and intermediate portions thereof and pivotally connected therewith; a flexible fabric covering extending across the top and about the sides of said frame, and hoisting means connected with the front frame-portion and adapted to lift the same while simultaneously folding the longitudinal members into substantial parallelism with the uprights.

2. In a structure as set forth in claim 1, a cosmetic-table extending transversely be tween the intermediate longitudinal members and hinged to the rear frame-portion, and means on said table slidably engaging said longitudinal members to support the table thereon.

3. A structure as set forth in claim 1, wherein the flexible fabric covering has over lapping flaps at the front side of the frame and detachable fastenings at the corners adjoining the rear uprights.

1. A structure as set forth in claim 1, including folding brace-members connected with and adapted to releasably retain the uprights and longitudinal members in rightangled relations to each other.

5. In a structure as set forth in claim 1, hanger-rails pivoted to the front uprights to swing about vertical axes, means for detachably connecting the opposite ends of said hanger-rails with the rear uprights, and means for detachably connecting each hanger-rail with the opposite upright of the front pair.

6. In a folding dressing-room for use on the stage of a theater, a metal frame comprising pairs of uprights, transverse members rigidly connecting the uprights of each pair to form frontand rear frame-portions, long-itudiiial 'members pivotally connected at their front and rear ends with the uprights of the front and rear frame-portions, folding brace-members connected with and adapted to releasably retain the uprights and longitudinal members in right-angled relations to each other, hanger-rails pivoted to the uprights of one pair to swing about vertical axes, means for detachably connecting the opposite ends of said rails with the opposite pair of uprights to extend parallel with the longitudinal frame-members, and means for detachably connecting each hanger-rail with the opposite upright of the pair on which the respective rail is pivoted.

7 In a structure as set forth in claim 6, a flexible fabric covering extending over the top and about the sides of the frame, said covering having overflapping flaps at the front side of the frame and detachable fastenings at the corners adjoining the rear 

